Wow. It has been a while since I last posted. It seems that this is a common theme. Perhaps rare updating makes the final post more desired than it would be otherwise. It's the concept of supply and demand, don'tcha know? ;)

So we had a speech and debate tournament last week, starting Wednesday and going through Saturday. Wednesday, we headed over to the college after our classes were over. We had two debates (Round 1: Aff against Khazoyan/Watson - loss, Round 2: Neg against Groenevelt/Liddiard - win) and a speech round that afternoon/evening.

Thursday we had three more debates (Round 3: Neg against Burge/Peters - win, Round 4: Aff against Enos/Liddiard - loss, Round 5: Aff against Erickson/Jeub - win), and the final preliminary debate was held on Friday morning (Round 6: Neg against Davis/Fritzler - loss). God really did a work in my heart, totally changing my mind after Gold where we only won one of our debates. I decided (by His grace) that we COULD win Negative rounds (good thing, too!!!), and He allowed me to be sick so that I totally had to rely on Him to get anywhere.

Somehow He allowed Esther and I to break to outrounds with a 3-3 record. So we qualified to Regionals. The team we hit in Octofinals was Malenke/Watson...

Now before I tell you the result (and I'll let you guess it, if you don't already know), know that Malenke/Watson won the entire tournament. They were completely undefeated, winning every single one of their debates (I'm SO tired of their Aff case - no offense, but it's true). Not even Enos/Liddiard (they're famous for being very good and winning the tournament in Utah) did that well, losing to them in Semi-Finals. So yes, we lost, but it was an amazing debate, and I couldn't have picked a cooler team to debate in outrounds. (Interesting fact here: God allowed me to keep my voice until after this debate, but also allowed me to have a huge ear infection that hurt like the dickens while we debated.)

It was an amazing tournament. God was there. I had such a good time even while being sick and discovered just how rich God's love is.

The weather here has been interesting. One day it'll be lovely and warm (Friday and Saturday), the next snowing (Sunday and Monday), the next day warm again (today), and then cold AGAIN (tomorrow and Thursday, I hear). Ah, I love this state!

God has been doing some amazing stuff in my life lately. His grace, love, and mercies are over-abundant. I don't understand why He choses to be so good to ME, but He is, and I am glad. Praise be to our Heavenly Father!

So people have been wondering where I got my name for a long time now, I'm sure. This poem came to mind this afternoon anyway, when I was blissfully happy, so I'm going to post it to show you where my parents found my name. :)

The Children's Hour
Poem lyrics of The Children's Hour by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, o blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!


Yes, forever, forever and a day. That is how long I shall keep you... How great is our God!!!